RJD2 Takes Ownership of his Music

Ramble John Krohn, better known as cut-and-paste producer RJD2, recently made a bold move: He began taking ownership of his entire music catalog. For those unfamiliar with Krohn’s music, he has a fairly large body of work, most notably 2002’s Deadringer — an album so heavily licensed to television and film that it supposedly helped keep indie rap label Def Jux (the album’s original home) afloat in its infancy. (Check out the ‘Appearances’ listing on RJD2’s Wikipedia page to see where his music has been used.) The only album that Krohn doesn’t own is The Third Hand, which XL Recordings still has the rights to.

Image credit: Getty Images, Richard Newstead/Flickr

So what does this all mean? It means that Krohn will now control the majority of his music — for better or worse — and release it via his own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections. From what Krohn says, the decision is partially financial, but moreover a personal decision to have a controlling interest in his own art. Given his track record for licensing his songs however, it would seem Krohn’s decision is an extremely wise business move too. Don’t forget, his track “A Beautiful Mine,” is now the theme song for AMC’s Mad Men.

RJ tells PSFK:

“I assessed all my options, and it was the one that felt the most right. A big part of it has to do with the morality of a standard recording contract. In it’s typical format, you get a nice advance in exchange for ownership of the master recordings for life. I am lucky, I don’t need that type of thing at this point, and the more I thought about it,the more I wasn’t comfortable with the concept. Outside of any sort of ‘business angle,’ an album is a snapshot of your life at a particular time. I want to control that, regardless of what monetary value it may (or may not) have — now, or 10 years from now.”

Krohn also shared some insight into his work ethos in a recent letter:

One last thing before I go; just to be forthright, this is only a portion of what I’ve got lined up for you. I have been SERIOUSLY busy in the last 2 years; and very little of it has to do with twittering. At the risk of sounding all corny, I feel the need to say something that’s important to me: I’ve realized recently that I do music, make records, LISTEN to records,  tour, and generally hole myself up in the studio because I love it, not cause its my job. Its become as natural as breathing, and keeps me sane-most of the time.  Im much more concerned with making a timeless record, than with how to sell a record nowadays. Also, if you don’t see me posting left and right on whatever the most current social networking site is, its not cause I don’t like being social, its cause I feel like our time on earth is very very short, and that the most I have to offer this planet in my little window of time here is through the vessel of music.  I would rather leave behind something you can hopefully use a little more than an update on my belly button lint.  Hopefully, a catalog that speaks more volumes than all the blogs I could possibly write in a hundred years.